Letters to the Editor: As L.A. River faces gentrification, the solution is more affordable housing

To the editor: I enjoyed reading the recent article about the improvements along the L.A. River and how it has increasingly become an open-area environment of recreation and escape from our crowded urban setting (“As L.A. River morphs into impromptu stage for nature-loving musicians, gentrification fears remain,” July 13).

One of the joys of Los Angeles, for me, is riding my beach cruiser bike along the nearly 10-mile stretch on the south side of the river, which has a lighted asphalt road from the Victory Boulevard overpass in Burbank to the I-5 freeway overpass. You can easily ride on from there to downtown L.A. In between, the city has in recent years created parks and allowed good restaurants to open, with great entertainment popping up. This has also brought on the inevitable homeowner gentrification, for good or otherwise.

The solution for dealing with low-income residents being displaced from the river area is clearly for the city to create affordable housing there, which unfortunately does not seem to be high on its list of priorities.

Doug Weiskopf, Burbank